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The report attempts to encourage dialogue between donors, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel. Although it focuses on immediate emergency issues, it recognizes the need to balance short-term measures with a continued commitment to the longer-term institutional and development agenda. The Palestinian economic recovery that began in 1998 came to an abrupt halt with the start of the Intifada in September 2000, and the subsequent imposition of tight closure, decimating the economy over the past fifteen months. The report enumerates the problems of this severe economic recession, identifying Israel ' s closure of the Palestinian territories, as the cause of its economic crisis. This decline has been driven by unemployment in the private sector, exacerbated by the bankruptcy of the PA,. However, a full collapse of the economy and government has been averted, and the situation stabilized somewhat, with a subsequent slower rate of decline. Donor funding has increased compared to 1999 commitments, with increased disbursements in 2001. Nonetheless, the situation is unstable, and economic disintegration continues. Israel, the PA, and donors need to reverse the situation towards significant recovery of the Palestinian economy, by dismantling the system of internal check points, and easing border restrictions

Today many people with disabilities tend to be disempowered and deprived of economic and social opportunities and security because they are excluded from areas of social life. Furthermore, they are also underserved by most public and private institutions and services. As a result, people with disabilities tend to be the poorest of the poor and their health is vulnerable.
The role of the health sector in the prevention of disabling conditions, in addressing disabling diseases and limiting their effects, as well as in rehabilitation is central. Therefore, health sector interventions should address the disability dimension to best facilitate poverty reduction.
In order to provide disabled people with a health care system that addresses their needs, several steps are needed. Governments must support equal opportunities for all and the disability dimension must be included into economic and social life

This book provides a conceptual review of social capital and measurement tools in a form readily accessible to development practitioners. It discusses the value of quantitative and qualitative approaches to the analysis of social capital, illustrating the discussion with examples, and case studies from many countries. It also presents the Social Capital Assessment Tool, which combines quantitative and qualitative instruments to measure social capital at the level of household, community, and organisation, drawing on multidisciplinary, empirical experiences, an application which can provide project managers with valuable baseline, and monitoring information about social capital in its different dimensions. The Social Capital Assessment Tool can be downloaded from a CD-ROM which is included with this book

This report's objective is to increase understanding of the causes of poverty in order to find ways to reduce it among Palestinians. Three broad messages emerge from this report: 1) Unless the Palestinian territories are able to achieve high levels of economic growth, the prospects for future poverty reduction are not encouraging. 2) Unless Palestinians gain greater access to external markets and to better paying jobs, whether in Israel or in higher productivity occupations, it will be difficult for them to escape poverty. 3) The formal safety net does not have the financial resources necessary to have a significant impact on poverty. Nevertheless, it can play an important role in helping to reduce destitution among households headed by the unemployable poor and even the temporarily unemployed. The report's four chapters compare poverty levels and discuss the micro-determinants of poverty; analyze the impacts of economic growth, income redistribution, and labour markets; detail the poverty map; and discuss improving the social safety net

This directory features World Bank lending and non-lending programs that target children in the 0-8 age group. It describes Early Childhood Development (ECD) projects and project components and includes economic and sector work and capacity building initiatves. It aims to comprehensively document the World Bank's early years intervention programs and to provide lessons for future ECD projects. ECD programs in Africa are characterised by a high degree of community involvement and civil society participation, including NGOs. Implementation strategies combine key government sectors and programs at central, regional and district levels, and work with non-traditional implementers of World Bank projects such as international and national NGOs and foundations

This study highlights the role information and communication technologies (ICT) can play in the fight against poverty of disabled people in developing countries. The study addresses the possibilities and barriers ICT can cause for disabled people. It shows the role ICT can play in the provision of services and information for disabled people in the context of middle and low income countries

This extensive resource guide and handbook is designed to help development professionals, programme planners, trainers, policy makers and child advocates to develop integrated approaches to working with young children living in poverty. It is organised into seven sections: the basics of early childhood development; needs assessment; setting project goals and objectives; choosing an appropriate approach; creating the infrastructure to deliver services; evaluation; and costs and financing.